The 2019 Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists

Forty of the nation’s most brilliant young scientists named finalists in Regeneron Science Talent Search

On January 23, 2019, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) and Society for Science & the Public named 40 finalists in the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. The competition, , known as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search from 1942-1997 and the Intel Science Talent Search from 1998-2016, is designed to engage and inspire the next generation of scientific leaders. Alumni have gone on to win the Nobel Prize, found successful companies and invent groundbreaking medical treatments.

Finalists were selected from a pool of nearly 2,000 highly qualified entrants, all of whom completed an original research project and extensive application process. Earlier this month, the Society and Regeneron named the top 300 scholars. The finalists were selected based on their projects’ scientific rigor and their potential to become world-changing scientists.

Finalists’ projects span a diversity of STEM-related topics and this year include building new models to predict refugee migration in Burundi, identifying novel therapeutic approaches to potentially improve precision care for leukemia and developing an automated 3D printed IoT (Internet of Things) sensor to detect arsenic in groundwater.

The finalists will travel to Washington, D.C. from March 7-13, where they will undergo a scrupulous judging process and compete for more than $1.8 million in awards. They will also meet with members of Congress and display their projects to the public at the National Geographic Society on March 10.

The finalists are each awarded at least $25,000, and the top 10 awards range from $40,000 to $250,000. The top 10 Regeneron Science Talent Search 2019 winners will be announced at a black-tie gala awards ceremony at the National Building Museum on March 12. In total, more than $3 million in awards will be distributed throughout the Regeneron Science Talent Search. Previously, each of the top 300 scholars received $2,000 with an additional $2,000 going to their school.

The 40 finalists in the 2019 Regeneron Science Talent Search

“The Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists are our country’s most promising young scientists, and I’m thrilled to congratulate them on this outstanding academic achievement,” said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron and Science Talent Search winner (1976). “I will never forget how participating in the Science Talent Search back when it was sponsored by Westinghouse changed my life and gave me the inspiration and confidence to pursue a career in science. I can only hope these amazing young scientists build on their success in this year’s event and go on to use their scientific talents to address the many urgent challenges we face as a society, from climate change to disease.”

“This year’s Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists are helping to advance solutions to some of our world’s most intractable challenges,” said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO of Society for Science & the Public and Publisher of Science News. “I’m so impressed by the hard work and brilliant thinking these 40 exceptional students have demonstrated in their research projects. I look forward to meeting them in D.C., and I am excited to see how their passion for science will impact our world.”

Forty finalists were selected from 300 scholars and nearly 2,000 entrants based on the originality and creativity of their scientific research, as well as their achievement and leadership both inside and outside of the classroom.